Passenger services units such as reading lights, loudspeakers and signs, air nozzles, oxygen masks, infill panels can be made up individually as single elements for each passenger layout and can be placed in an aircraft or in a passenger services conduit in such a manner that the elements are aligned with the seats.
In this arrangement the precise position must be observed and the gap dimensions must be checked and adjusted. The associated effort and expenditure for definition, administration and installation is very considerable and often involves a great deal of time and money. The minutest differences in the position and in the color, which differences are, for example, due to various manufacturers of the elements, are visually quite evident and time and again result in complaints from the airlines. Likewise, any changes made to the layout require considerable expenditure in terms of adapting the passenger services conduit.
From DE 103 07 147 A1 and US 2004/0213005 A1 a reading light for aircraft cabins is known, which reading light is installed above a passenger seat.
DE 10 2006 049 030 B3 describes a loudspeaker system for an aircraft cabin. U.S. Pat. No. 3,330,506 describes a multifunctional module traversable alongside rails for a passenger services conduit in an aircraft. In doing so, an oxygen supply line may be connected via a quick-connection coupling.
In GB 2 430 118 A, a passenger service unit (PSU) is described which may be snapped on mounting rails; the current supply for such a PSU takes place via a conductor rail which may be formed unitary with a mounting rail. A wireless passenger control unit and a wireless receiver of the PSU serve for transmitting control commands.
DE 10 2007 014 406 B3 describes a services conduit with an air distribution system for airplanes, an airplane with such a services conduit, and a method for forming a services conduit. The services conduit brings about a variable positioning of air nozzles along its longitudinal extension, and in the services conduit additional supply lines and arrangements may be provided, e.g. for providing seats with current, or for providing loudspeakers integrated into the services conduit with electrical signals.
DE 195 02 658 C1 describes an arrangement for supplying passengers in a passenger cabin, in particular in an airplane, consisting of a services unit with comfort elements and control elements, like an reading light, a steward calling key, a loudspeaker, an air nozzle, etc., and feeding lines from a supply line to the services unit.
US 2008/0112155 A1 describes a passenger supply unit (PSU) with a housing having an air nozzle attached thereto, wherein a ring of light emitting diodes is arranged at the housing such that the diodes surround the air nozzle.
In WO 03/052974 A1 a local area network on a mobile platform, e.g. an airplane, is described which has a direct signal transmission of infrared signals between a passenger seat and a passenger supply unit (PSU) arranged above.
US 2006/0032979 A1 describes a system for determining the configuration of the inner cabin of an airplane in which radio frequency transmitters are provided which transmit radio frequency signals which interfere with each other and form a resulting signal which is employed for determining the position of objects.
DE 10 2006 061 455 A1 describes an arrangement of at least one passenger supply unit (PSU), e.g. in an airplane, wherein a rail is arranged which comprises at least one conductor. The PSU has at least one current collector arranged such that it contacts the at least one conductor of the rail in the built-in state of the PSU.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,690 B2 describes an LED light source for passenger cabins which has an ordered arrangement of a plurality of LEDs, wherein an electronic control adjusts the current level for certain LEDs such that different light beam patterns are provided. The communication with the LED light source is performed via a serial data bus.
From US 2008/0089079 A1 a lighting unit for example for airplanes is known which comprises several illumination elements which may be activated singly or in groups. The illumination elements may be formed as LEDs the anodes and cathodes of which are connected to a printed circuit board on which the control electronics and the power electronics of the lighting unit are provided.
It may be considered an object to provide a simple, economical and flexible supply of services to passengers. In addition, other objects, desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.